Nothing is more symbolic of traditional medical practice than the stethoscope. Because it is easily portable, relatively inexpensive, and requires no input power to operate, it has long been considered an ideal instrument. Nevertheless, there is frequent need for something more than a quick, qualitative analysis, and, in response to that need, various electronic advances have been utilized to improve the performance of the stethoscope. Generally, however, the very nature of the problem has inhibited the development of a truly satisfactory electronic stethoscope.
First, the signals being sought are almost invariably of the type which are lost in ambient noise, and isolating them from that noise in any useful form has proven difficult. Second, with some of the available electronic devices, too much is left to the skill of the practitioner for auscultation diagnosis.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to analyze electronically and display objectively evidence of medical conditions represented by sounds produced by organs of the human body.
It is a further object of the invention to enable diagnosis of certain medical conditions with an instrument which is non-invasive and passive.
Another object of the invention is to improve auscultation diagnosis utilizing computerized digital signal-processing techniques.
Still another object of the invention is to analyze sounds produced by organs of the human body for evidence of patterns and to display in a distinctive manner any departures from these patterns.
A still further object of the invention is to produce permanent, objective, medical and legal records of auscultation analysis.
A more specific object of the invention is the provision of an accessory package which enables a general-purpose computer to perform computerized stethoscopic analysis.